Cook veggie pasties

You’ll need

Ingredients (see recipe)
Knives
Chopping boards
Pans
Wooden spoons
Mixing bowls
Rolling pin or water bottle
Spatula

Before you begin

Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Additional help to carry out your risk assessment, including examples can be found here. Don’t forget to make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help if you’re short on helpers.

Get ready to cook

Ingredients

For the filling

Two medium potatoes
One small leek
Two tablespoons butter
Quarter of a teaspoon of salt
Herbs to taste (we recommend thyme)
Two tablespoons of flour
One and a quarter cups of water
Two vegetable stock cubes
A can of chickpeas

For the dough

One cup plus two tablespoons flour
Half a teaspoon of salt
Four tablespoons of soft butter
Four tablespoons of water
Butter for frying

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2

Make the filling

Clean the potatoes and leek and chop them into small pieces.
Add the vegetables to a big pan with the butter, salt, and herbs.
Cook the vegetables for a few minutes, stirring so they don’t stick.
Add the flour, and keep stirring for another minute or so.
Add the water a bit at a time, stirring it in as you go.
Crumble the stock cubes and add them in.
Keep stirring, and cook until the stock is dissolved and the potatoes are soft.
Drain the chickpeas and rinse them thoroughly.
Add the chickpeas and gently stir them in.

Make the dough

Mix the flour and salt together.
Add the soft butter and mix it in until you have a crumbly mixture.
Add the water and mix until you can combine the mixture to make a ball of dough.

Make the pasties

Split the dough into two balls.
Sprinkle some flour onto a chopping board and roll one of the balls out until it’s thin. You can use whatever you have to hand – a water bottle works almost as well as a rolling pin. If you make any holes, just patch them up with a bit of dough from the edge and use a bit of water to make it stick.
Add about half a cup of the filling to half of the dough, leaving a border at least a centimetre wide (so you can close your pot pie pocket).
Don’t add too much filling, or your pocket won’t close. You can eat any leftover filling alongside your pockets.
Dab the border with water and fold the empty half over the filling to make a semicircle shape.
Seal the edge by pressing it closed with your fingers or a fork.
Repeat the steps with the other half of the dough to make your second pot pie pocket.

Cook the pasties

Add about a teaspoon of butter to a frying pan. Place it over the heat until it melts.
Add a pot pie pocket to the pan. Fry it on one side until it’s golden, then flip it over with a spatula.
Cook on the other side until golden. Keep an eye on the seam – it’s the thickest part, so make sure it’s cooked through.
Remove from the heat.
Repeat steps one to four to cook your other pot pie pocket.
Allow to cool slightly before you tuck in.

Reflection

This activity was all about trying new things. Had anyone made similar recipes before? What did people do to make sure they were prepared to get stuck in? Maybe they read through the whole recipe or measured out the ingredients before they got started. When else can being prepared make it easier to try something new?

This activity was also about being independent. What did people do for themselves in this activity? Maybe they took charge of making the pastry or did the tricky bit of assembling the pot pie pockets. Take some time to celebrate everyone’s achievements as you enjoy your creations.

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

Cooking: Teach young people how to use cooking equipment safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Make sure it’s safe to use and follow manufacturers’ guidelines for use.
Fires and stoves: Make sure anyone using fires and stoves is doing so safely. Check that the equipment and area are suitable and have plenty of ventilation. Follow the gas safety guidance. Have a safe way to extinguish the fire in an emergency.
Food: Remember to check for allergies, eating problems, fasting or dietary requirements and adjust the recipe as needed. Make sure you’ve suitable areas for storing and preparing food and avoid cross contamination of different foods. Take a look at our guidance on food safety and hygiene.
Sharp objects: Teach young people how to use sharp objects safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.